Heller, a Harrisburg resident for 6 years, said that she got the tattoo of her husband’s name, Blaine, on her neck around the time they got married in May 2011.

View full sizeDan Gleiter, The Patriot-NewsBethany Heller, 31, of Harrisburg, has to undergo tattoo laser removal sessions before she can join the Army. The tattoo on her neck, with the name of her husband Blaine, must be removed.
07/12/2012

Sergeant First Class Claude B. Hebert at the Harrisburg Recruiting Battalion Operations Office said that the Army’s tattoo policy has been established to prevent tattoos detracting from a soldiers appearance while in uniform. The policy states that "Tattoos or brands anywhere on the head, face, and neck above the Class A uniform collar are prohibited."

Heller’s tattoo is partially visible when she wears a collared shirt.

"I’ve wanted to join the Army for a long time," she said. "I can do this. No one else can tell me it’s a bad idea."

In January, Heller began the enlistment process at a local Army recruiting center.

She said Army recruiters did not notice or ask about the tattoo on her neck during those visits.

When she went to the office a third time in April, recruiters noticed the tattoo and said it had to be gone before the process could be finalized. She spoke with recruiters in other cities who also said the tattoo is unacceptable.

Heller said she began getting treatments to remove her tattoo at a doctor’s office in Lancaster because it was more affordable. She was able to pay for each individual session instead of a one-time, more expensive fee for multiple sessions.

Compared to getting the tattoo, Heller said the pain from the removal treatments is much worse.

Kristine Askins, a patient care consultant for Monarch Medspa in Susquehanna Township, said that if a local anesthetic is not used before the removal process, patients could feel some discomfort.

Askins, who has used laser removal technology for seven years, said the laser breaks down the tattoo so the patient’s body can excrete the ink naturally.

Askins also said about 75 percent of her patients get a tattoo removed for military-related reasons.

After two removal sessions, a miscommunication between Heller and the doctor’s office treating her led to some problems.

View full sizeDan Gleiter, The Patriot-NewsBethany Heller, 31, of Harrisburg, has to undergo tattoo laser removal sessions before she can join the Army. This tattoo, the name of her husband Blaine, must be removed.
07/12/2012

Heller said that the office deposited a check after she had asked for it to be held until she received a paycheck. This led to a canceled bank account, an eviction notice and the repossession of her car, Heller said.

"It’s been a bad year," she said. "It’s been a bad couple of years for a lot of people, not just me.This economy has been really hard."

Heller, who is unemployed, said she wasn’t looking for a job during the enlistment process because she thought her career in the Army would have already begun by now.

"I don’t enjoy it," Heller said as her eyes filled with tears. "I really wish the tattoo was gone by now because I really want to be out of here, and I really want my life back."

Heller said that she understands the Army’s policy, but also thinks more help is necessary when recruits have to go through the process.

"I feel like there’s nothing I can do to get to the next step," she said.

Time is also a factor for Heller. SFC Hebert said that new recruits need to be in basic training before their 35th birthday.

The 31-year-old Heller first needs to save enough money for about six to eight more removal treatments. According to Askins, five removal treatments could take about a year to complete because of the time needed in between sessions.

However, Heller said her commitment to joining the Army is still very strong because the military has a great support system and "they train you really well at how to do your job."

"When I go in, I’m not going in for a couple of years," she added. "I’m going in for the rest of my life. That’s what I want to do for a career."

Chuck Read, a tattoo artist for 17 years and owner of Never Say Die Tattoo in Harrisburg, worked on Heller’s neck tattoo.

Read said he does caution customers when they want to get a tattoo in a spot like the neck or face. "We try to warn people that they might have problems down the line," he said.

But Heller said she wasn’t really worried about her tattoo being in a prominent spot after she got it.

"Once you get a tattoo, you kind of forget about it anyway," she said.

Heller has a total of seven tattoos and said that she loves them. She even designed the lettering of the one on her neck.

"For some people it’s personal and they don’t want to discuss it," Read said. "Other people just want to show it off."

Heller said she got the neck tattoo because she loved her husband and they got along really well.

"And because it was what I wanted to do," she said.

Even though it’s created some problems in her life, Heller said she doesn’t regret getting those six letters tattooed on her neck.

"Wrong decision or right decision, you have to experience for yourself," she said. "You have to live your own way.

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